Apparently, I must have been running out of time when I photographed this last set of IQA Competition Quilts (not included the New Mexico Quilts still to come) because it seems as if I skipped around through three different categories.  Note to self:  Take better photos of the signs next year!!  Nonetheless, the quilts below are remarkable and I loved each of them!

A Pocket Full of Paisleys, by Lorilynn King, Longmont, CO

Lorilynn King writes, “I decided to really learn my embroidery software.  I started digitizing the designs in mid-2010 and began stitching the final version in March of 2012.  The quilt took 10 months to complete.  Background quilting is my own design and was completed before attaching the paisleys.”

Gypsy, by Sharon Schamber, Payson, AZ

When I saw this beauty, I immediately knew that it must be another wonderful Sharon Schamber quilt.  The judges liked it too and awarded it a 2nd place in the Embellished category.  Sharon writes, “This quilt is an exuberant manifestation of the joy I feel as I continue to explore the amazing world of machine embroidery.”

Gypsy Detail

Here’s a detail shot of just a small portion of the masterful embellishment on this quilt.

True North, by Cathy Raines, Skiatook OK

I love this one!  Not only is the quilting by Cathy Raines beautifully done, the use of different quilt blocks as part of the landscape adds charm and appeal.  Of course, the row of Flying Geese in the sky is guaranteed to get my attention.  Cathy writes, “This quilt started with a grab bag of challenge fabric.  From strength-stability-grace-honor-family-love-peace and more came the vision for this quilt.  The scripture James 1:17 exemplifies the vision, as all these words are representations of God’s good and perfect gifts.”

Journey Toward Notan, by Jean Freestone, Osprey, FL

The positive-negative aspect of this quilt quickly drew me in.  Jean Freestone writes, “Notan is the Japanese word meaning dark-light, or the interaction between two opposites (yin/yang symbol).  Notan is explored through an exercise called ‘expansion of a square’, expansion meaning to created the mirror image around the the outside edge of a shape using the pattern found in side that shape.  I have expanded circles of traditional Japanese family crests.  The ‘river of life’ background depicts our own journey to achieve balance in our lives.”

OverJOYed, by Flora Joy, Johnson City, TN

How could one not just love the whimsical nature of this totally free-form quilt by Flora Joy!  She writes, “This FUN quilt was designed with astonishing quilting, beautiful embroidery, and a clever message behind each of the quilt’s five layers.  All the designs relate to the letters in the word JOY.  See who can find the greatest number or letter combinations that spell ‘joy’.”

Red Velvet, by Lisa Calle, Pottstown, PA

Red Velvet Detail

Another beautiful quilt, this time by Lisa Calle.  The quilting is simply superb as is her use of a limited palette of colors and fabrics.  The contrast created by the combination of the three make this a really lovely quilt.  She writes, “I fell in love with the gray and red fabrics and knew I needed to have them.  I had recently seen a Dresden Plate quilt and though these fabrics were perfect for it.  I used about 5,000 yards of my favorites thread.  It was 100% hand guided on my A-1 Elite.”

Memories of Scarlet Serenade, by Sharon Schamber, Payson, AZ

Closing out this post, here’s another beauty by Sharon Shamber, this time in the Mixed Technique category.  Like all of Sharon’s quilts, this one has incredible attention to all detail as evidenced in the photo below.  Some of the finest machine quilting I have ever seen.

Memories of Scarlet Serenade Detail

Sharon writes, “Over the past few years, I have been exploring machine embroidery techniques and pushing the limits of what can be done in the hoop.  This quilt is the culmination of that journey.”

Stay tuned!  Although this completes the bulk of the competition quilts, the New Mexico Quilts and the special exhibits are still to come.